CORINTH — In Lake Dallas’ last two
season openers, the Falcons had squandered huge leads and found ways to lose
the first game of the season.

After the Falcons had jumped out to a
7-0 lead against Richardson Pearce on Thursday night, the Mustangs seemed
poised to keep Lake Dallas’ opening-day losing streak going.

The Mustangs scored 20 consecutive
points by midway through the second quarter, stunning the crowd at Falcon
Stadium into silence and stealing momentum.

Like a thoroughbred that peaks too early
in a race, the Mustangs let their lead slip faster than they had earned it.

In a span of 3:15, Lake Dallas scored 21
straight points and regained the lead for good.

The Falcons used their second-quarter
run to get the momentum back and pick up a 31-20 nondistrict victory.

“In the past we’ve been in that spot so
many times, we never flinched,” Lake Dallas head coach Michael Young said of
playing from behind. “But this is a whole new group. I told them at halftime,
regardless of what happened in the game, they learned from past experience —
even when they were younger — no matter how bad something looks, keep
competing, keep getting after it and things can get better.”

With 7:08 left in the second quarter,
Falcons quarterback Marshall Dominy didn’t see a defender lurking on the left
side of the field and threw a pass directly to defensive back Aaron Moss, with
no Falcons nearby. Moss ran 35 yards to the end zone for a touchdown.

Then, on the ensuing kickoff, the tide
shifted in Lake Dallas’ favor.

Tony Green took the kickoff 63 yards to
the Pearce 26-yard line. While the Falcons only got a field goal on the
possession, it was the first of a series of events to go Lake Dallas’ way in
the quarter.

During that span, Pearce ran only four
plays. When the Mustangs ran the fifth play, Lake Dallas scored 14 points in 35
seconds.

With 11 seconds left in the first half,
Dominy found a wide-open C.J. Harris, who took advantage of what looked like a
blown defensive assignment and scored a 23-yard touchdown.

Dominy struggled early on but regained
his composure. He completed eight of 16 passes for 129 yards, one interception,
two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown.

“It was pretty nerve-racking — first
time starting at quarterback since freshman year,” Dominy said. “I sure did
miss it, that’s for sure.”

Dominy took over the starting
quarterback role after Dalyn Williams graduated and went to Dartmouth to play
baseball and football.

The senior quarterback was aided by his
running back and defense. Tony Green ran the ball 33 times for 115 yards and a
touchdown. Aside from a 14-play, 98-yard drive Pearce had in the first half,
the defense stifled Pearce’s two-quarterback attack of Craig Lair and Rhett
Svetgoff.

The quarterbacks combined for 17-of-38
passing for 175 yards.

After two years of blown leads and
devastating losses, the Falcons have learned how to hold on to a lead.

“It was good to come back, especially
after these last two years of not finishing it. We finished it this year,”
Schantz said.

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